WN42 - Not so many pics Flugel - by Kerry Young - 25th April 2007

26th May 2007

A very dull day weatherwise, something that gives my camera a focussing problem. I apologise in advance for the pictures that are not really crisp, but they will convey the message intended I'm sure. Let's dig into the picture bag...................

Early in the day and Peter Jenkinson arrived up with this backhoe from City Hire, who had offered us a good discount. Our original digger was unable to come, so City Hire came to our rescue. Thanks indeed, City Hire! As you can see, Peter has already removed the rails and sleepers from road two.

Another item of interest for the day was this Bedford engine and box which Ray Shearman had travelled quite some hours to obtain, in order that we could get a new crankshaft pulley for the pie cart.

Being an Anglicised Chevrolet, the village wag has labelled it a 'Blue Flame' after the legendary engine type so common here in the 50s. (Like it or not, Beford/Vauxhall was very firmly G.M. by this time.) This mill predates the Blue Flame by many years. (Now I'll get off my soapbox before I get carried away by my second favourite hobby.)

Progress on the trackbed work front after but a short time.

Parking space in front of the carriage shed is at something of a premium now. The shunt to the branch here is longer than the eye can see and the rusty wheels on the rusty track make the rolling resistance round the curve very high. We are paused here while our Bert descends form the Pie Cart.

Another lapse in time and we see Peter Jenkinson (I must get this lad a nick name!) leaning on the air gun removing track screws. Further out still is Carl Pumpa, more usually associated with the throttle on 'W192'. Make no mistake though, Carl is a very good railway worker in many fields including diesel mechanics.

Oh so badly out of focus, but you will recognise a very fragmented Westinghouse air compressor. The same one we were working on. We became concerned with marks on the shaft between the two ends and decided that we really ought to strip the pump right down and have the shaft out. Then we discovered that the shaft had previously been built up and turned down. Minute examination showed all too clearly the damage that had been done. Not at all obvious initially, the shaft would have been forever leaking had it been left in place. I'm sure we are not the only outfit to have to undo our work from time to time. The remedial process? Try to see if we have a better replacement in stock. If not, we grind the shaft until it comes clean, build it up with chrome to about 0.015" over nominal size and grind it back to original 1 1/4" standard. This done, it will be better than new.

Another focussing fatality, but we do see that Bob the Builder has completed the seating in 'L1939'. Well done Bob. Now for the candy stipe parasol?

Fatally flawed focus again, but we see our Graham easing the sliding fit of a frame in the guides. For another view................

Here we see the windows set at half mast. The character of the carriage is coming to life again. In talking to Keith, he tells me that this car is but a quick tidy up. The intention being to use it as a backup for when we are having difficulty with the numbers on a running day. He's right too. Often there aren't really enough seats at the busy time.

You may be wondering how we provide a service with the carriage shed tracks ripped up. Most of the locomotive stock from the steam shed are in the carriage shed and the carriages now are in 'Loco' as it is called.

Now finally.......................

Back outside and Carl is making light work of shifting rails while Peter is doing the hard way with a crowbar. This is the sort of thing I can seldom show you and I'll make a good job of showing you now and thanking them while I have the oportunity. It's d****d heavy work and they go at it like a bull at a gate. Well done you two! Cheers, 'K'.